Banter Bites

You Don’t Have To Be Irish

Top of the morning to you. And the afternoon. And the evening. Because it's said, "On St. Paddy's Day, everyone is Irish!"

BANTER BITE BACKSTORY: Although we're not Irish, our memories of celebrating St. Patrick's Day go back to our childhoods growing up in New York – Red remembers green bagels and our mom's corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes while Black remembers wearing green so as not to get pinched.

The Irish may have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years, but it's also a day that's celebrated across the globe by those who are Irish, of Irish descent, or merely want to celebrate because it's a "fun" holiday. (Chicago dyes its river green.)

Red carries on her mom's tradition of slow-cooking corned beef for a St. Patrick's Day dinner, but admits it's mostly because she (and now her daughters) loves homemade corned beef. And although throughout her life many people have assumed that she was Irish (it must be the red hair), she admits knowing very little about the history behind St. Patrick's Day.

Black always wondered about the tradition of wearing green to avoid being pinched, but never could get a straight answer why (remember she's old, and the internet's relatively new), so decided a green blouse or scarf was a small price to pay. Not to mention, she's always been a clothes horse, so her closet has clothing in every color.

So, however you celebrate St. Patrick's Day – as a religious holiday, with food and drink, wearing of green, thoughts of leprechauns and luck – enjoy the day. And if you need a little inspiration, check out these Irish quotes. And if you want to make green beer, check out this Betty Crocker recipe!

No matter what holiday you may celebrate, Red can’t help but quote a line from one of her favorite Christmas songs, “Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, your troubles will be out of sight.”

And Black can’t help but point out that the song wasn’t introduced in a Christmas movie but in the movie "Meet Me In St. Louis."

Wishing you a merry everything and a happy always!

This is one of Red’s favorite Banter Bites in large part because of Black’s “corny” puns, but also because fresh corn is a summer staple – whether cooked on the grill or in the microwave, whether eaten on its own or as a primary ingredient in refreshing summer salads


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